Honor Maria Abdullah Achievement

23, 2018 WHEREAS, Women's History Month, celebrated each year in March, is a time to reflect upon and pay tribute to the women of our State and Nation for their contributions to their communities and their professions; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that women of every economic, ethnic, and religious background have made significant contributions to their community and to the State of New York, and it is appropriate to recognize them and to publicly acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among us all; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Maria Abdullah upon the occasion of her designation for special recognition at the 2nd Annual Women's History Month Celebration to be feted on Friday, March 23, 2018, at the Grinton I. Will Library in Yonkers, New York; and WHEREAS, Maria Abdullah has truly devoted herself to the welfare of her community and its citizenry; and WHEREAS, Maria Abdullah was born to Tariq Abdullah and the former Tania Gautreaux in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; at the young age of two, Maria and her parents emigrated to the United States; and WHEREAS, By the age of three, Maria Abdullah could speak three languages, English, Spanish, and Urdu; today, she continues to speak all of them fluently, as well as read and write in Arabic; and WHEREAS, Maria Abdullah spent her early childhood in the Bronx, New York, where she was a member of Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club; as a student at P.S. 105, she was actively involved in school and district-wide competitions as well as student government; and WHEREAS, After the family moved to Yonkers, New York, Maria Abdullah was named valedictorian of Frank D. Whalen Middle School 135; she was then accepted into the prestigious and specialized high school, The Bronx High School of Science, where she explored her faith and beliefs; upon graduating, she earned her bachelor's degree in business and technology management from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU; and WHEREAS, From 2007-2018, Maria Abdullah was employed with Bloomberg L.P.; throughout her 11-year career, she served in various roles in operations, finance and leadership; and WHEREAS, In January of 2018, Maria Abdullah decided to make a change in her life, and began working for The Office of the City Council President, Mike Khader in the City of Yonkers, where she hopes to make a difference in her community; and WHEREAS, Maria Abduallah has dedicated most of her life towards service and helping her fellow man and woman; she is actively involved with The Juan B. Gautreaux foundation which assists thousands of children in the Peralvillo/Yamasa area of the Dominican Republic; and WHEREAS, In this role, Maria Abdullah has worked on initiatives for education, global and maternal health as well as social and community empowerment events for the organization; she and some friends were instrumental in building a water well in Korangi Town, Pakistan, bringing water to hundreds of villagers who walked for miles to obtain this precious resource; and WHEREAS, Maria Abdullah is also a mentor for American Corporate Partners, advising veterans and military service members in their transition into civilian life and the private sector; a special advisor for "Wise Up -- Knowledge Ends Extremism"; a member of the Advisory Board for the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE); and was a participant of the Leadership Council for the American Muslim Women's Association (AMWA); and WHEREAS, Maria Abdullah believes hate can only be overcome by leading by example and doing the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be; through her work as a co-leader of the Westchester 1 Chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, she has been able to serve the community by raising awareness of the commonalities between Judaism and Islam as well as help remove stereotyping and prejudice which have long subdued the relationship between both religions and cultures; she and her fellow volunteers will be featured in the upcoming documentary "Salaam Shalom - Muslim and Jewish Women Unite against Hate"; and WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her three children, Ryan, Aiden and Inaya, all of whom have shown her love and support and rejoice in her many achievements; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned our recognition and applause; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Maria Abdullah upon the occasion of her designation for special recognition at the 2nd Annual Women's History Month Celebration on March